An Interview with Chris Quick: Part 1

Moviescramble met with Chris Quick, a Glasgow based editor/producer to talk about his latest film, Electric Faces, a sci-fi short written and directed by Johnny Herbin which sees a recovering addict’s plans to commit the perfect robbery thrown into chaos by a cantankerous bank guard and an increasingly unstable robot.

So Chris, how did you come to be working together with Johnny?
I first met Johnny when I was a judge at a film festival in Glasgow. A year later when Electric Faces was in the early stages of Pre-Production he got in touch. He was looking for a producer and he approached me in October 2013 to take up the role. After an informal meeting to review the initial storyboards, I gladly accepted his offer. It was an interesting script and I had never done a film in the sci fi genre.

How would you describe the production of the film?
Overall the filming process ran fairly smoothly. The only major hiccup was the schedule for the filming that took place in Jaconelli’s café. There was a mix-up with the schedule which meant shooting for two days but with a two week interlude between the days. Luckily, you can never guess from the film that production had halted for such a time.
For me it’s been good to work with some old faces once again. I have had the pleasure of working with John Gaffney, our soundman David McKeitch and Harley Moore who has provided first class make up services for the film.
It was also great to work with our 2nd soundman Omar Aborida, and the actors George McWilliam, Calum MacAskill and June Hazel.
I would also like to draw particular attention to Euan Bennet our leading actor who at the age of 19 has excelled in what some would consider to be quite a task for someone who is still in the early years of his acting training. I’m certain that Electric Faces will be a tremendous springboard for him with his outstanding performance in the role of Tom.
Lastly I would like to commend our DOP Darren Eggenschwiler. Darren’s phenomenal knowledge of cinematography made the filmmaking process seem so effortless and it was remarkable to watch the man in action on set. I think I speak for Johnny as well when I say that he truly has been one of the greatest assets on Electric Faces.

What’s it like working with Johnny Herbin?

Johnny has quite an exceptional imagination and this comes across in his spectacular storyboards that he draws up himself. Artistically he is a gifted man and it’s this skill that allows him to direct his films with ease. Scenes and shots are planned down to minute detail and within minutes of talking to him, cast and crew have an in depth idea of what he plans to achieve for the film.
He remains remarkably cool and thoughtful in times of stress and kept the production on course maintaining a high morale with the cast and crew. In my book, he has the makings of a great director.

What can you tell us about the special effects in the film?

We were lucky to work with David Reynolds , a very gifted VFX Compositor & Animator in Glasgow. David will be adding some subtle futuristic magic to the scenes giving us a sense that the world we are observing is of another time. He will also be adding life to Hugh to make the character more animated and visually intriguing.

What interesting props did you use in the new film?

By far the most interesting prop is the costume for Hugh. When I initially saw Johnny’s drawings of how Hugh would look, I thought it was going to be quite adventurous to construct something that would not only be realistic but would be comfortable enough for an actor.
Thom Wall who built the helmet has done a fantastic job creating the visual costume for Hugh and I think it will be something people will remember vividly from the film.

What comments do you have on the state of independent film in Glasgow?
The industry is certainly very healthy at the moment. There are some very talented people both in front and behind the camera and a lot of productions are going on to have great success around the world. My only fear is whether it is sustainable.
Filmmaking is a very expensive hobby and often there is very little financial reward for independent films. Crowd funding has been a great way for getting projects off the ground. Most recently ‘A Practical Guide to a Spectacular Suicide’ which was funded through this method went on to be nominated for two Bafta Scotland new talent awards in 2014.

Chris, thanks for your time. It’s great to hear about positive experiences with film in Glasgow. Finally, when will be able to see the film? Will it be shown at any Short Film Festivals?
Definitely. It will be great to get the film out and about in the UK and in other countries to see
what kind of a reaction it will get.

Writer at Moviescramble, with a taste in film from Citizen Kane to Crocodile Dundee. Imbued with the spirit of Barry Norman and a taste for popcorn at an early age, covering all forms of cinema releases and the odd monster movie along the way.